Client 133: Multiplying our Houston Impact

Every year in Texas, more than 1,200 young adults age out of the foster care system without being adopted. Sadly, 1 in 4 of America’s foster youth are homeless within four years of leaving foster care. Less than 3% will graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and only half will obtain employment by age 24 (data from the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare). These are grim statistics. But there is HOPE!

Our most recent OnRamp client is not an individual or family, but an entire charity called Hope’s Path in Spring, Texas. Hope’s Path was started in 2016 after a group of church, business, and community leaders saw the needs of ‘aged out’ foster youth, especially young men. They founded this residential home to provide a place of healing within a Christ-centered community, where young men are supported, equipped, and empowered to lead successful, independent lives. In a safe and encouraging environment and with the help of a team of mentors, they learn their individual worth and develop critical life skills to become healthy, successful adults.

Towards this end, Hope’s Path helps each young man secure employment in the north Houston area. However, these men can’t yet afford vehicles of their own. So Hope’s Path leaders must drive the men to and from work every day, covering hundreds of miles a week. They desperately needed a reliable, large vehicle, but couldn’t afford one. So they reached out to OnRamp.

We are so grateful to have wonderful financial partners in Houston and in the Brazos Valley who, together, helped us purchase this low mileage Honda Odyssey. It should last years, even with the extensive mileage requirements. This one vehicle will, Lord willing, serve dozens of young men transitioning from foster care into full adult independence. Thank you for giving generously to OnRamp so we can give generously to these deserving young men! God is multiplying your impact!

Pictured above are Hope’s Path Executive Director, Brandon Anderchuk, and Program Director, Ted Macvaugh. You guys are doing great work in Houston and we are honored to partner with you! Pictured below are Brent Hairston and Chip Jennings who prepared the vehicle for donation. Huge thanks to George’s Glass for a free replacement windshield and Christian Brothers Automotive for discount repair services on the van.

Clients 131 & 132: Privacy and Light

Let’s talk about privacy. OnRamp was blessed to give away two nearly identical silver Toyota Corollas in the last two days… but we can’t show you pictures of the clients or share their names or stories. Like many of our clients, they have asked for privacy. Through painful mistakes in our early years and wise counsel from more experienced partners, we learned that protecting the privacy of clients is not only essential to a charity’s mission, it’s also how we honor the dignity of our clients, all of whom are made in the image of God. They are not projects to fix, nor are they defined by their lack of a car. They are inspiring men and women who have labored hard to overcome challenges that would have kneecapped me. Unless a client gives us explicit permission to share their story, name, and/or picture, we keep everything private. So it is for our 131st and 132nd clients. All I can say is that I promise you, they are both very inspiring people nominated by excellent advocates. For those whose donations made these Corolla purchases possible, your money was well spent!!

Since I can’t share stories, let me share a verse with you instead that has struck me in new ways this week. In Matthew 5, He says, “You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (NASB). Here’s what I seemed to have missed for a long time: all of the underlined words are PLURAL, not SINGULAR. See, Greek is typically more exact than English. The second person “you” in English could be either singular or plural. Not so in Greek. You know immediately whether Jesus is speaking to each person as an individual (singular 2nd person) or the group as a whole (plural 2nd person). So, to borrow from Texas vernacular, Jesus is actually saying, “Y’all are the light of the world… Let y’all’s light shine before men in such a way that they may see y’all’s good works, and glorify y’all’s Father who is in heaven.”

While the grammar is interesting, the implication is profound! I always thought my goal in this world was to be a singular light for Jesus - a candle shining in the dark. No, actually my goal is to unite with other followers of Jesus doing good deeds so that together we all are one glorious light for Jesus. It is when I gather with my amazing OnRamp staff, board, volunteers, and donors to serve families in need that WE, not ME, are the light of the world Jesus intended.

So I challenge you to think “WE” not “ME” this week. Where are you linking arms with other followers of Jesus to sacrificially serve the poor, vulnerable, or hurting as a glorious light that the world cannot help but notice. If you don’t have an answer to that, reach out to me and I’ll help you find a ministry or charity that fits your gifting and passion where you can lock arms with other believers and shine!

Client 130: A Hand Up for Dean and Dawn

On a cold and rainy morning last week, we had the privilege of partnering with Aldersgate Church to bless our 130th clients, Dean and Dawn. What a sweet couple! Dean works full-time between holding down a job and caring for Dawn. Both suffer from significant health issues. Unfortunately, they had to navigate these challenges without transportation. When they needed groceries, they would walk to Walmart, which meant having to cross a major highway. Dean needed some way to get to work, so he bought a scooter. But Dawn cannot ride it, meaning he can’t get her to doctors’ appointments or the store. And worse, Dean has already been hit twice while riding the scooter! They are doing everything they can to be self-sufficient, but just needed a hand-up with transportation.

Dean and Dawn (left and middle), with their loving advocate, Debbie (right)

So in love, Debbie Champlin from Aldersgate nominated them to us, and we gifted this Toyota Rav4 in red, Dawn’s favorite color! The vehicle has plenty of room for Dawn’s wheelchair and service dog. Now Dean can get to work and can drive Dawn to appointments, church, and the store whenever they need. We are so grateful to be part of their continuing story!

Huge thanks to their advocate, Aldersgate, our client-care leads on this case, Cassidy and Tiffany, Joe Dewolf for finding the Rav4, Christian Brothers for repairing it, and Chip Jennings for getting it cleaned and ready. It takes a team!

Pictures and story shared with client permission.

Advice: How to Choose the Safest Vehicle for Your Family

As I drove to work on this cold, wet day, I was reminded how important safety is when we choose a vehicle for ourselves, our loved ones, and especially our newly-licensed teenagers. Heated seats, touch screens, horsepower, and looks matter little when another driver fails to stop at a redlight and T-bones you. We want vehicles that will protect us and our families when, not if, an accident happens.

So, what vehicle should you buy to provide the greatest safety for those you love?

Let’s start with three guiding principles.

Principle 1: No vehicle safety feature will ever be as important as a fully engaged driver. I want to spell that out on the side of Kyle Field in 40-foot-tall letters. A driver who is paying complete attention to the task of driving will be more likely to get home safely than one who is not, even if the former is driving a 1970’s Ford Pinto and the latter a state-of-the-art Tesla. There is no technology yet that can fully replace the human driver. And this is where all of those wonderfully advanced safety features actually have a NEGATIVE consequence: they can deceive us into believing our attention is no longer required. That’s a recipe for tragedy. New technologies like automated braking and lane departure warnings are wonderful… so long as we do not use these features to excuse distracted driving. So here’s a simple rule of thumb. No matter what vehicle you buy, the safety of you and your passengers will be primarily determined by your full engagement in the task of driving. Put the cell phone away. No texting while driving. Ever. And be very careful even talking on a phone while driving as it can be just as distracting.

Very effective rear crumple zone on this Volvo S90. Note how the trunk absorbed almost all of the impact, leaving the passenger compartment fully intact. Longer vehicles usually provide you larger crumple zones.

Principle 2: mass usually wins in a collision. You could have the safest 2-door hatchback ever made, but in a collision with a Suburban, you will almost certainly lose. It’s a simple matter of physics. Imagine crashing a ping-pong ball into a golf ball. The former will experience a massive change in velocity; the latter barely any. It’s that massive change in velocity that kills you (imagine your brain inside that ping-pong ball!). Now that does not mean we should all drive tanks. Big, heavy SUV’s and trucks carry their own safety risks, most notably increased propensity to roll over. Therefore, I advise a middle-ground. The safest vehicles tend to be mid-size or full-size sedans and SUV’s. They have sufficient mass and also offer larger crumple zones than their smaller siblings. Crumple zones are portions of the vehicle designed to “crunch” under impact so that energy can be absorbed before it makes it into the cabin. Longer hoods and trunks, larger doors, and greater space between doors and occupants means there is more room for energy absorption to occur before you get smacked. So, leave the little sports cars for more experienced drivers (me, please!), and get something larger if you’re a new driver or have little kids with you.

Principle 3: newer is better. Safety features follow a progression. First, luxury brands pioneer a new technology like airbags, antilock brakes, or blind spot monitors. But with time, costs decrease and eventually those same features are found in every car from a Ferrari to a Ford. Therefore, the newer the car, the more safety features it is likely to possess. If you have a choice between a low-mileage ten-year-old vehicle or a high-mileage four-year-old vehicle, the safer bet will probably be the newer vehicle, all other things being equal. For convincing proof, watch this video of a 1959 Chevy Bel Air (a massively heavy bruiser) disintegrating when hit by a 2009 Chevy Malibu. Newer is definitely safer if it’s more than ten years difference.

With these principles in mind, how do you select the safest vehicle? RESEARCH! Look up IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) ratings on all the vehicles you are considering. These industry-wide ratings are based on extensive crash-test data, and can be found at www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings. Second, read reviews of each vehicle at Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, and any other reputable source you can find. If you’ll be buying a used car, look for reviews about used versions of the cars you’re looking for. Finally, talk to that car guy or gal you know, the one who’s always driving something interesting and impractical. Chances are good that he or she will have useful suggestions for you. And if you don’t know anyone who fits that description, OnRamp is happy to help. Just ask.

My first set of wheels looked like this, but in a more boring grey. It was basically a road-going couch with vinyl seats that stuck to your skin on hot days. I never street-raced because I already knew I’d never win.

For parents of new drivers, all the above principles apply, but let me add one more. Please do not buy your new driver more car than they can handle! Fast cars are a privilege to earn, not a rite-of-passage for testosterone-filled teens. On behalf of all innocent bystanders, please do not give a new driver a Corvette. Give him or her something slow and docile. My first car was an early 80’s two-wheel-drive Chevy Blazer. 0-60 took over ten seconds. You had to work to exceed the speed limit… which made it perfect for a new driver. You wouldn’t throw a toddler in the deep end to learn how to swim. So don’t throw your sixteen-year-old the keys to a sports car. So for all of our sakes, help your kid learn the skill of safe driving in something slow and boring.

Last question: What safety options do you really need? Is lane departure or auto-braking actually worth the thousands of dollars some manufacturers charge for these options? That depends on your budget. They are nice features, but they are not nearly as important as the safety features that are required by law on all new vehicles such as seatbelts, airbags, anti-lock brakes, crunch zones and backup cameras. If you have the money for these advanced features, spend it. If not, don’t worry. What matters far more is that no matter what vehicle you buy, you are always a fully engaged driver. Always.

Since this is an article on safety, I better cover my own butt. I am not a lawyer. I am not (currently) an engineer. My opinions are my own and I make no guarantees, expressed or implied, that my advice is true, competent, complete, or will save you from bodily harm or death. I’m just a guy who likes cars. That is all.

In Their Own Words

We recently completed our first major survey of our past OnRamp clients, and the results will warm your spirit on this cold day. Rather than read my words, here are actual quotes we collected from clients, anonymized to protect their privacy. When asked, “What personal goal have you made progress towards since receiving the vehicle?” here were some of the answers.

“I have been able to get to work. Thank you!”

“Becoming more independent financially. Managing money better. Believing in myself a lot more has been the best thing for me. Taking [my daughter] on adventures and truly enjoying life more.”

“Receiving this vehicle has allowed [our charity] to serve our community in a much wider capacity. We are able to take care of our clients transportation needs as well as carry us to important meetings and outreaches. This Tahoe has given us the freedom to serve. Thank you.”

“Headed toward marriage and a new life walking in faith.”

“Helping people who helped me”

”I can take my children to school knowing that I don't have to worry about it whether or not if it's raining or if it's cold regardless, my kids are safe and warm and dry. For school, I get to allow them to participate in after school activities. My son is thriving in basketball right now, so I'm grateful that not only can I go to his games, but I can make sure that he makes it to and from practice.”

“Going back to school to get better employment.”

“Health improving. Car extremely clean, lot of pride to get around. Work more.”

“Since receiving my vehicle, I have been able to get to and from work, which allows me to obviously provide for my kids. I've been able to get to and from my volunteer hours… I've also been able to stay, um, and work overtime at my job”

“Getting to work and to my sons Doc apts. Able to go to Church now, too.”

“I have made great progress and strides. I have received a better job with better pay. I have been able to visit doctor's offices when I need to… I have a new apartment that's even better than the last one that I was at.”

“Getting ready to become a teacher!!”

“You guys have definitely made a difference in my life. You gave me back my hope and confidence. Because of you I know now I can support my child and myself, and that is priceless to me. My goal is to become self-sufficient, and it’s certainly possible now thanks to you. May God continue to bless you as you have truly blessed us.”

Client 129 and Afghan Hospitality

Najib receiving his new Civic with his advocate John from the Bryan Rotary Club.

OnRamp staff and volunteers gathering with Najib to pray over his new car with his permission. Prayer is never forced in our ministry. We are always careful to ask the client if prayer is something they would like from us.

Our first client of 2023, Najib and Hedye, are the third family from Afghanistan that OnRamp has been privileged to serve. This stellar young couple was nominated by John Anderson and the Bryan Rotary Club who have gone above and beyond to help them settle into their new home here in the United States. They have actually made such progress since arriving that there were no additional action steps we needed them to take before qualifying for a vehicle. That’s not surprising. It takes incredible strength and perseverance to relocate half way around the world, learn a new language and culture, and make a new life for oneself! So without delay, we donated this 2012 Honda Civic to Najib and Hedye yesterday. Huge thanks to the donors who helped us purchase this vehicle, Christian Brothers for preparing it for donation, and Chip Jennings for cleaning it up for its new owners. As a reminder, like all of our clients, Najib and Hedye now become part of the OnRamp family and receive a full year of free maintenance, resourcing, and encouragement to help them along on their journey.

Sonita, with her husband Saboor and advocate Dr Shinn, explaining the incredible Afghan dishes she had cooked from scratch for us.

Coincidentally, one of our former Afghan clients, Saboor and Sonita celebrated great news last week as they received permanent status in the US! So they invited all those who’ve been part of their journey from Afghanistan to enjoy a home-cooked meal prepared by Sonita. Y’all, it was incredible! Afghan food is excellent. I did not found OnRamp so that I’d get home-cooked meals from clients… but I’m never going to pass on that! It was actually the second time this has happened recently. The week before, a former client named Catalina brought our whole staff homemade enchiladas! There were enough for me to take some home to my kids for dinner who wanted to make sure I knew they were much better than the tacos I make them every week. Yes, indeed they were, kids!

In OnRamp-organizational news, our primary goal for 2023 is to go deeper in our care for clients. We are implementing a massive new software system to better manage all of our intake, care, and processing for our clients. If you are an advocate or applicant, please bear with us patiently as we get that new system fully operational. And let us know if you have questions or haven’t heard from us in a timely manner. We’re still working out the bugs! More importantly, we’re meeting with new advocates and partners who can help us connect our clients to more services and care so they can make even more progress towards their goals.

Oh, and thanks to Wade Zimmer we now have a kicking front door to the office!

Sell us your Car and Bring your Baby to Work

We have two fun OnRamp updates to share. First, because God continues to work through you all to provide the funds we need, we are in a position to keep buying more reliable used cars. If you or anyone you know is considering trading in a vehicle to buy something new, would you consider offering it to us at the trade-in price if it’s on our list of preferred vehicles below? In particular, we are always looking for Toyotas and Hondas that are less than 15 years old and with less than 160k miles. Camrys, Corollas, Civics, Accords, and Yaris’ are our bread-and-butter. We also love Highlanders, Siennas, Odysseys, and Pilots if they still have lots of life left in them. Please let us know if you have a vehicle that meets our needs that you would sell us at trade-in value or below. Simply contact me at blakej@onramptx.org.

Second, we’ve moved into our new office and are loving it! Thank you to all the charities, businesses, and churches that donated furniture and supplies. We have spent only about $150 so far to fully outfit this office. Stephanie, Cassidy, and I are enjoying building our team after years of trying to coordinate over zoom. While remote-work is a blessing at times, it is wonderful to be in-person, especially for building camaraderie and improving efficiency. We had a great time with our spouses at the TAMU-LSU game (quite a win!). And we’ve just completed going through Strengths Finder, which I highly recommend if you’ve never done it. Among many strengths we each bring to the table, Stephanie is our Developer, Cassidy is our Empathizer, and I’m the Analytical dude. I’m grateful for a diverse team. I’m also grateful for periodic work breaks to play with Cassidy’s new daughter, Peyton. Baby breaks are the best!

Cars are Essential to Health: Clients 127 & 128

Our most recent clients demonstrate the inescapable connection between personal transportation and physical health. A community can have the best doctors, nurses, and hospital facilities in the world, but if patients can’t get to those medical providers because they lack transportation, it’s all for naught.

Ruby in her new Corolla, excited for new-found independence.

Ruby, our 127th client, lives in rural Burleson county ten miles from Caldwell, her nearest town. She lives down a dirt road in an isolated home. While her income can support her basic needs, it is not enough to buy a car. As a result, she has to walk miles to get to town, or pay an exorbitant amount for a ride-share such as Uber. This severely limits her access to medical care, and could be life-threatening in the case of an emergency. Fortunately, Ruby had a good friend in her advocate, Mary, who works with a ministry called Fishes and Loaves that has delivered supplemental groceries to Ruby every other week for years. Mary saw how lack of transportation threatened Ruby’s health, and made simple tasks like getting to the grocery store incredibly difficult. So with Mary’s compelling nomination, OnRamp donated a Corolla to Ruby to ensure she has access to the medical care, grocery store, and community services that make like possible.

Cassidy and Rami tag-teamed to give this sweet Toyota to our 128th client.

Our 128th client, whose identity we’re keeping private, is a young single mom who was diagnosed last year with a debilitating, incurable illness. She works hard, is well-organized, and had proven self-sufficient as she cared for her child, began treatment, and held down a job. But the wheels came off when her high-mileage car broke down shortly after her diagnosis. Without reliable transportation, she had no way to get to work, school, church, or to medical appointments. Fortunately, we were able to donate a reliable Toyota to her, restoring her independence and self-sufficiency as she faces this significant medical challenge.

Health policy scholars have long documented that lack of transportation is a barrier to employment opportunities, access to healthcare, and access to safety-net social services, particularly for poor single mothers and older adults. OnRamp aims to meet this need throughout the Brazos Valley so that our neighbors can experience better health in 2023 regardless of their income level.

Totally unrelated but fun update: our first-ever OnRamp office is coming along nicely! I can already feel my productivity rising thanks to triple screens, new dry erase board, spotify chillhop, and Stirling Moss/917 inspiration :-)

2022 Year in Review

By nearly every measure, 2022 was OnRamp’s biggest year yet. Despite record-breaking world-wide inflation in the used car market, God allowed us to provide reliable vehicles to 41 new client families, an increase of four over last year. Between these 41 adult recipients, there are 68 dependent children in these homes. Each of these children now has transportation to school activities, doctor appointments, church, and community events. These vehicles will change the trajectory of each of these young lives, affording them new opportunities for growth and health. Furthermore, we were able to gift our first vehicle in Houston, serving an Afghan family rescued from the Taliban. We were able to do the same for another local family in Bryan and provide free drivers’ education to three young Afghan women rescued last year. As always, we provided numerous repairs to already reliable vehicles for other local families, over two-dozen this year alone. We also provided gas cards and Uber credits to dozens of local families for short-term transportation assistance. On the staffing front, we added a new staff member, Cassidy Somervill, to improve the care we provide to each client family, and are in the process of transitioning our Operations Director, Stephanie Mason, from part-time to full-time. We are thrilled to continue to enlarge the wrap-around services we offer to our clients during their year of free maintenance. In non-transportation news, our growing staff has allowed Blake Jennings, our Founder, to serve the community in new ways, including mentoring local charitable leaders and helping to launch an Affordable Housing Coalition to lean into this growing crisis in our state.

We are so grateful to God and to the generous donors He raised up to fund this growing ministry. In 2022, we have raised nearly $700,000. Finally tallies await end of the year giving. To continue meeting these needs in spite of massive inflation, we desire to raise $830,000 in 2023. This is an ambitious goal! But we are confident that God will provide every dollar needed to accomplish exactly the ministry He wants us to accomplish this year. If you feel led to help us keep our momentum going, please consider giving a year end gift by visiting our Give page. You can give online or by check, as well as through stocks and estate designations.

Being Salt And Light In Post-Christian America

By guest author and board member, Austin Rogers.

A recent study from Pew Research warns of a startling trend concerning religion in American. Our nation appears to be rapidly moving away from church as a meaningful, communal part of life, replacing it with social media, various forms of entertainment, and political tribalism. Since the early 1990s, the portion of Americans self-identifying as Christian has declined from over 90% to 63%. These “deconverts” almost all became “nones,” or religiously unaffiliated. That does not necessarily mean they became atheists. They simply became disinterested in faith, failing to see any benefit of it to their lives. The church’s allure is fading, and a shrinking share of Americans want to be part of it, even in name only.

What will the future look like if present trends continue? Pew modeled a rather dire set of possible scenarios based on a few sets of assumptions. In all of them, they see Christian self-identification continuing to decline, and in the most likely scenarios, the percentage of Americans who self-identify as Christian is expected to fall below 50% sometime in the next few decades.

Most of the decline is due to the successive drop off in religious affiliation in each younger generation. Here is the share of four broad age groups who attend religious services at least weekly:

·      43% of Americans 60 or older

·      27% of Americans aged 45-49

·      25% of Americans aged 30-44

·      21% of Americans aged 18-29

Though there has been slippage across most demographic groups in Christian self-identification, it is mainly the drop off among younger Americans causing the overall decline in religious affiliation.

These are concerning trends, and they can easily lead Christians to despair. The United States is steadily becoming a “post-Christian nation” reminiscent of Europe.

In the face of this religious decline, especially among the young, what are Christians to do? Perhaps we should begin by asking, What could make the gospel and the church compelling to younger generations? Fortunately, that answer is readily available.

For younger generations in America, two key virtues are authenticity and selflessness.

Gen Z, those born between 1997-2012, are the first generation raised entirely in the digital age. They’ve been on social media since their parents first posted pictures of them in diapers. Online life has developed within them a keen and innate ability to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake. They have scrolled past enough filtered and edited selfies, and posted enough of them themselves, to have learned that so much of what people present, both online and offline, is fake – an inauthentic performance meant to capture attention rather than portray reality.

In a world awash with performative behaviors and attention-seeking, one way Christians can be compelling in post-Christian America is simply to be authentic.

Likewise, in the digital age, what often passes as “selflessness” is no more than virtue signaling paradoxically meant to draw attention and praise to oneself from a sympathetic group. Rather than worry ourselves with the hard business of actually doing good in the world, we often find it easier and more satisfying to publicly highlight our good intentions or complain about others’ faults, not unlike the Pharisee praying aloud in the temple from the gospel story.

For everyone in the digital age, and especially for the younger generations who have lived their entire lives in it, it is starkly counter-cultural to be truly selfless – to love one’s neighbor like the Good Samaritan even when no one else sees it – amid a sea of virtue signaling.

Rather than despair the changing culture and declining Christian self-identification of Americans, let us believers be a minority of people known for our counter-cultural authenticity and selfless love of others. This is how we can be “salt” and “light” in post-Christian America, to borrow Jesus’s metaphors from the Sermon on the Mount.

At OnRamp, it is our earnest desire to illustrate the authentic beauty and selfless love of God to our increasingly post-Christian culture. Whether it draws more to the faith, as we hope, is not up to us. But whether we are faithful to that calling is.

Expanding Impact: Working on Affordable Housing

Thanks to the generosity of donors and visionary leadership on our Board of Directors, I have been empowered this fall to focus time on a problem just as big as lack of transportation: lack of affordable housing in Brazos county. Almost every OnRamp applicant lists “Buy a Home” as one of their long-term goals. This is wisdom since home ownership is the single largest driver of generational wealth transfer. Becoming a home owner is how the vast majority of families build wealth that lasts decades. Money that went to rent builds equity instead; equity that can be passed down to one’s heirs. That’s how families move from subsistence to middle class stability.

Unfortunately, the dream of home ownership has fallen on hard times. From 2010 to 2021, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Brazos county rose 59%, adjusted for inflation! In contrast, median income grew only 13% for white families, and actually dropped 19% for black or African American families. In other words, home ownership is no longer a realistic possibility for most workers. Even teachers, nurses, and police officers, people with degrees and specialized training, are being priced out of the market. There is a growing sense of hopelessness for people in the bottom economic half in our community who see the path to home ownership getting longer every year. This problem must be addressed quickly and decisively, or we risk losing vital workers throughout our community. More than that, we risk becoming a community where the American ideals of advancement and growth are no longer realistic possibilities.

For these reasons, I have begun to invest significant time throughout the fall working with others in the world of charity, church, business, and government to strategize innovative solutions to this pressing problem. We’re still in the initial phases of research, ideation, and networking, but we are beginning to make real progress which I look forward to sharing with you in the future. For now, my goal is to simply inform you that when you donate to OnRamp, you are helping with more than just transportation! Your generosity funds my time to lean into the housing crisis as well as coach younger charitable leaders providing a host of services and ministries to the community. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Thank you so much for making this career possible for me! I’ve never had a job I enjoy as much as this, nor one where I can so readily see the impact God is allowing me to have. Your gifts are making a difference in many areas of need in the Brazos Valley!

Helping Jay Meador and Max Gerall lead a discussion about affordable housing barriers with a home ownership class taught by the Reach Project.

Client 126: a Hero Among Us

If you live in Brazos County and have not yet met a young woman named Rainn, you are missing out. She graduated Salutatorian from her High School and just obtained her bachelors in Social Work from UTA. She’s completing her internship hours this month, and then will start a Business degree at TAMU. That’s quite an accomplishment for any college student, but is astounding when you hear what she overcame. Rainn was raised in foster care. She progressed through the program at Unlimited Potential. She’s raising her two young children on her own. And she’s doing it all without a vehicle. As a result, Rainn has to pull her kids in a wagon from home to the bus stop whenever she needs to go anywhere. Then she loads the wagon and kids on the bus so they can get to school, work, childcare, or the store. On a normal week, she spends up to ten hours pulling the wagon and ten hours riding the bus! Imagine what this inspiring woman can do with a vehicle of her own that should give her twenty hours a week of her life back! Fortunately, Rainn has an amazing advocate in Linda who served as her CASA for nine years. Linda nominated her to OnRamp and we enthusiastically gave her this 2010 Honda Accord last week. Now Rainn and her kids and brother have reliable transportation to smooth their path towards attaining their goals and living out their amazing God-given potential.

Jesus told us that the second greatest commandment is to, “love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s impossible to obey if we don’t open eyes to see our neighbors, like Rainn, who are in need. So much of modern life is economically segregated. We live, work, worship, and play with people who are similar in financial standing. As a result, we can go through a week without ever seeing a neighbor like her unless we just so happen to notice her pulling her kids towards the bus stop as we fly by in our SUV’s. One of the most important aspects of OnRamp’s ministry is to introduce all of us to heroic individuals like Rainn who so often go unseen. Now you know your neighbor! And you are richer for it.

As you consider your end-of-year giving, we invite you to support OnRamp’s efforts to provide reliable transportation and a full year of support and encouragement to our neighbors in need. They are heroes, and it is our joy to play a part in their God-ordained stories. Please help us serve more this coming year.

PS. The last picture is my dad and I after we finished cleaning and prepping this Accord for Rainn. I highly recommend finding a way to serve with your family. It’s the best!

Sharing Our Secret List: The Most Reliable Used Cars

FREE RESOURCE FOR EVERYONE: We are throwing caution to the wind and publicly sharing OnRamp's internal list of the best used vehicles to buy for reliability. This list is the result of careful accounting of every penny spent on every OnRamp vehicle (over 120 so far). This may perturb fans of certain brands we've omitted. Sorry, but these are the cars we've found last our clients the longest for the least cost of repairs. This list has saved our bacon many times. Feel free to reply with questions and please share this with anyone looking for a reliable used car.

Three important notes:

(1) This list is about older used vehicles, not new vehicles. We typically buy 8-12 year old vehicles in the $8-10k value range. If you are buying a newer vehicle, these trends may not apply.

(2) This list is about reliability, not about fun, looks, towing capacity, technology, etc. My car is not on this list because it takes a lot of work to keep on the road, but that's ok because I enjoy doing my own maintenance and prioritize fun over reliability. But I'm weird that way. Most people need absolute reliability above all else. So here's your guide.

(3) There are ALWAYS exceptions. Some Corollas die young. Some Audi's go forever. This list is not a promise of reliability. It's based on averages. YMMV.

Relationships are the Key

Please read this short article from Forbes which captures the heart of OnRamp so well. The key to helping people out of poverty is building relationships, not providing services. Unfortunately, most of us think about charity only through the grid of services. We give a person or family in need a box of food or rent for the month or even a new vehicle. That is a kind gift, but as the research shows, it rarely leads to transformative change if it is not accompanied by the far more important ingredient of relationships. This should not surprise those familiar with Jesus’ model of ministry. He didn’t just give services - food, healing, instruction. He gave Himself. He offered to become a kind leader, friend, and brother to those who came to Him. He gave His life, not just His charity, for those in need, and He calls us to do the same. So to be clear, the call of Jesus upon us towards the poor is not simply to open our pocketbooks and make a donation once a year, though monetary donations are certainly needed. His call is far harder. It is to open our hearts and lives to welcome them in as friends and brothers and sisters; to love them and do life with them for this is what brings genuine change. And while the article focuses on the change it brings for the poor, I would argue it brings just as essential a change to the rich! We who have plenty are in desperate need of relationships with the poor who can teach us that security and love are not found in our possessions or bank accounts. We need them to show us what deep faith in Jesus looks like, even when we have nothing to our name.

This is the philosophy behind everything OnRamp does. Many people mistakenly believe we are a charity that gives away cars. No, we are a charity that uses cars to build transformative relationships with our neighbors in need. That’s why every client gets a full year of free maintenance, up to and including totally replacing their OnRamp car if it wears out during that time. That twelve months warranty gives us opportunity to get to know them, love them, encourage them, and learn from them. We could serve far more people if our ministry ended the moment we hand someone the keys to a new car. But as the article and the Bible make clear, that would be short sighted. So we sacrifice breadth for depth and prioritize relationships over automobiles. The client in the picture above, Cheyna, is an example. Through relationships with OnRamp, her church, her advocates, and others, she has not only found stable transportation, she now owns a home, has a great job, and has bought a new vehicle after ours served her for over four years. She’s an incredible success… because of the power of relationships.

Hopefully this short philosophical soapbox has given you a sense of why we do what we do, and inspired you to find new ways to open your heart and your home to those in need. It can transform both them and you for the better!

Client 122: A CSISD & TAMU Rockstar

This inspiring client absolutely blew us away! In spring 2021, Vanessa was a senior at CSISD when her mom, her sole caregiver, died of Covid. That tragedy left Vanessa and her 13-year-old sister to navigate life on their own. Rather than surrender to grief, Vanessa stepped up to secure guardianship of her sister to raise her as her own. She then finished High School, the first in her family to do so. And she did so well that she was accepted into TAMU as a Regent Scholar on a full ride scholarship where she’s now in her 2nd year.

Unfortunately, the car that Vanessa inherited from her mom, which she and her sister relied upon to get to school, work, doctors appointments, and the store was hit by another driver and totaled. The entire insurance settlement went to pay off the debt that remained on her mom’s vehicle, leaving Vanessa with nothing to purchase a new car. Even more challenging, the Regent Scholarship rules stipulate that she cannot work more than a small number of hours per week or risk losing the scholarship and her chances at a degree. There was no hope to earn enough money to buy a car, but without a car, there was no way to get herself and her sister to school and essential appointments.

That’s when her former teacher, Grace, stepped in. Since Vanessa’s mom had passed, Grace had provided her and her sister multiple meals per week, helped them with laundry, and guided them through financial and legal challenges and questions. Grace was the kind of teacher we all idealize; one who goes far beyond the classroom to ensure her students have every opportunity to thrive. So without hesitation, Grace reached out to CSISD leadership, and when connected with us, nominated Vanessa for an OnRamp vehicle.

We debated her case for less than a second - how could we say ‘no’ to such an inspiring young woman! To make it even easier, a generous donor connected to the school district offered to cover $5000 of the car’s price. The pieces fell into place rapidly, allowing us to joyously give Vanessa this 2016 Mazda3 plus a full year of free maintenance support that should enable her and her sister to continue their educational journey and carve a stable and successful path forward in life. We cannot thank God enough for giving us the privilege of blessing this young woman who, according to CSISD leadership, is an absolute rockstar! We agree!

Tomorrow, November 29th, is Giving Tuesday, a globally recognized day of charitable giving. If Vanessa’s story has inspired you, we invite you to consider giving to OnRamp to help us continue to serve clients like her with the gift of reliable transportation. Your gifts enable us to not only donate a vehicle, but also a full year of maintenance so that our clients can continue to focus on their goals. We also provide ongoing encouragement, prayer, and connections to resources and churches to help our clients in all areas of life. We’ve been blessed to gift vehicles and support to 36 new client families so far in 2022 (124 since our inception 5 years ago), and would love your help to keep that momentum going! Simply visit our giving page HERE.

Client #120: Gloria a Dios Hermano!

What a privilege to bless my friend Samua and his wife, Grisel, and their three daughters with a new vehicle! Samua is a phenomenally gifted Worship Minister from Cuba who now serves at Grace Bible Church’s new Midtown Campus. He leads in both English and Spanish, creating an environment where people from diverse backgrounds can worship together. Sadly, Samua and Grisel have faced substantial challenges over the last year, including the death of Grisel’s mother in Cuba and the destruction of their home church in Havana due to a nearby gas leak. So much of their income has gone to supporting loved ones back in Cuba during these crises that none was left to afford a new vehicle when their 200,000+ mile minivan broke down. They needed help. Fortunately, our generous donors stepped up to help us raise over $10,000 to purchase this 2010 Toyota Camry with only 49,000 miles. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this car is practically new. It should last another 200,000! Now Samua and Grisel and their girls have reliable transportation to continue their journey, blessing many of us here in the BCS while also supporting many back in Cuba. This was a perfect illustration of the body of Christ serving one another in love!

Thank you to my good friend, Chris McGuffey, for nominating this stellar family to us. Fun to partner with you again! Story and pictures shared with client permission, who exclaimed when asked, “Gloria a Dios hermano!” Amen, Samua!

Redemption on Two Wheels

Our mission is to share Jesus’ love with our community by serving those in need of reliable transportation… whatever form of transportation that takes. A few weeks ago, that meant providing beautiful new bicycles to three young, local siblings who are on their own in the world. We’re keeping their identities and details of their stories private. What we can tell you is that all three ended up in this country alone and without support or documentation through absolutely no fault of their own. They made the best of their situation, completed school and got local jobs to support themselves. But they had to walk miles to work, rain or shine. When a local civic leader found out about their situation, she reached out to us for help. Fortunately, Aggieland Cycling stepped up to provide a steep discount on three bikes, locks, and headlights. And the best part is that they will fully support these bikes for life so that these hard-working young siblings can focus on their jobs and their futures.

In a similar vane, OnRamp was asked to help provide Drivers’ Ed for three local Afghan women rescued by the TAMU Borlaug Institute when their country fell to the Taliban. All three have college degrees and great jobs at TAMU, but they had never been behind the wheel of a car before! So OnRamp volunteers gave them basic lessons this summer. Then, when it was time to progress to formal Drivers’ Ed, a generous local family stepped in to pay for lessons for all three ladies. This will end up costing us approximately $3000. But that’s a small price to pay for the freedom these women will experience when they’re able to drive themselves wherever they want. That’s a freedom we take for granted, but that many women in this world lack, especially in countries like Afghanistan. We’re grateful to share the love of Christ in this very tangible way.

In Isaiah 43, the Lord says to Israel, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” To redeem means to pay a price to free someone from some form of bondage. In the ultimate sense, Jesus paid the price to free humans from the bondage of sin. We rightly celebrate that, but too often forget that God desires redemption from ALL forms of bondage, not just spiritual. And He calls us, His sons and daughters, to join Him in this work of setting men and women free from bondage in all its forms. This is what motivated the great William Wilberforce to fight against slavery in England and MLK to fight segregation in the US. Our spiritual redemption should motivate us to work for redemption in all ways for all people. Lack of transportation in a place like Texas is a form of bondage. Bondage to poverty. Bondage to unemployment. Bondage to hopelessness. The gift of transportation is freedom from all these things that hold so many back from reaching their God-given potential. So we strive to provide this gift of reliable transportation in any and all forms to as many people as we can. Will you join us in this mission?

2022 Annual Report - See What God Has Done!

We are mailing out our Annual Report this week to all the snail-mail addresses we have. But for many of you, we only have emails. So here it is in electronic form. We pray this will inspire and encourage you as you read about the amazing work God has done in our midst in 2022. Please help us keep this ministry going strong into the New Year!

3 More Clients, 3 More Stories

Our 118th client, “K,” comes to us through YoungLife. This generous and courageous young woman suffered incredible loss as a child, including near homelessness on multiple occasions. Yet she persevered in putting herself through Blinn and TAMU while serving with YoungLife. Her love for God and others has blessed so many people in her path. Unfortunately, she found herself trapped in a common catch-22. She needed more employment to be able to afford a vehicle, but she needed a vehicle in order to be able to get to more employment! She couldn’t make ends meet without help. So her YoungLife leader nominated her to OnRamp and we joyously shared God’s provision of a reliable car that should serve her well for years to come. Fun fact, she works in the childcare ministry of Incarnation Anglican, the church both I and her advocate call home!

Our 119th client, “E,” is an amazing young woman who stepped up to raise her two nieces, ages 4 and 2, who have suffered horrible abuse and trauma. She gracefully opened her life to these young girls and worked hard to create a space for them to feel safe and loved. “E” works 40 hours a week, but after rent, groceries, utilities, insurance, and other essentials, there was no money left for a vehicle. So Brittany, a Project Unity Parent Educator, nominated her to us. At the time of her application, “E” was expecting the birth of her own first child. Tragically, this baby boy passed away shortly after birth. We invite you to pray for “E” as she grieves and heals. OnRamp was honored to give this Toyota Yaris to this strong woman, along with connections to local parenting and counseling resources. Our love and service to our clients goes far beyond just a vehicle.

Finally, on to our bonus client of the month, “M”! This veteran and single mom received an SUV from OnRamp two years ago. However, we knew at the time that this particular vehicle might not last her the full five years we intend. When it did wear out, as we feared, we stepped in to partner with BVCares and gift her a much more reliable Corolla! Now this hard working mom has transportation she and her son can count on.

Thank you so much for giving faithfully to OnRamp. We could not have served these three deserving women without your help. Each of them now has not only a vehicle but the ongoing support, connections, and prayer of our entire OnRamp team helping them achieve long-term goals and experience the peace God desires for them. We are so grateful for your help!

Client 117: One Donation, Four Generations

Why did GiGi, our 117th client, need a car from OnRamp?

“With a reliable vehicle I will be able to get to and from my doctor appointments without having to ask around for a ride or miss my appointment because people cannot take off. I will be able to get my grandson to his cystic fibrosis appointments [in Houston] while his mom is working or stay at the hospital with him. I will be able to get my school age grandkids to and from school without them having to walk in the rain or cold this winter. I will be able to travel to my oldest granddaughter’s basketball games and go watch her cheer. I will be able to get back to church and get back on my duties. I will be able to help my aunt who [lives] next door to me who doesn't drive anymore get to her appointments. I will be able to travel to Dallas to see my 79 year old father who has dementia who I haven't seen in 2 years because my transportation is not reliable.”

Born and raised in Bryan, this mom to 2, grandmother to 7, and caregiver to two other young infants has persevered through multiple heart attacks to continue to care for everyone around her. But the breakdown of her 250,000 mile Trailblazer threatened not only her independence, but also her ability to provide necessary transportation for her grandkids and neighbors.

Enter Grace Bible Church’s Youth Impact program. Lauren, the Aggie leader assigned to Gigi’s grandkids, took the opportunity to get to know her well over the last year. In Lauren’s own words, “GiGi has radically changed my life and the way that I view hospitality, serving others, and what it looks like to sacrifice your life for the sake of people that you love. She loves people more than anyone I know and is the biggest servant.”

When the Trailblazer finally died, Lauren nominated GiGi to OnRamp, and we were privileged to gift her a 2009 Pontiac Vibe, which is actually just a rebadged Toyota Corolla in hatchback form! She immediately named it “Silver Bullet.” Now she is free to get herself and others to life-saving doctor appointments, get her grandkids to and from school, and participate in their extracurricular activities and church events.

Hopefully GiGi’s story demonstrates how a reliable vehicle makes a transformative impact on multiple generations in a family. Yes, Gigi now has opportunity for a better life. But so do her seven grandchildren and two bonus infants. So does her grandson with cystic fibrosis. So does her aunt. And so does her elderly father. Four generations are deeply blessed through a single reliable car. This is the power OnRamp offers to families in the Brazos Valley.

If you want to make a transformative impact in this community while sharing the love of Christ with your neighbors, please consider making a year-end or monthly gift to OnRamp. Due to inflation, our average vehicle cost is $8,000, plus $2,000 to fully maintain the vehicle free-of-charge for each client for their first year with us. That $10,000 investment per client is high, but can make a generational impact worth ten times as much. If you’d like to help us bless more families like GiGi’s please click here to give.